Gravel packs are used in wells for removing particulates from inflowing hydrocarbon fluids. In a variety of applications gravel packing is performed in long horizontal wells by pumping slurry comprising gravel suspended in a carrier fluid down the annulus between the wellbore wall and screen assemblies. The slurry is then dehydrated by returning the carrier fluid to the surface after depositing the gravel in the wellbore annulus. To return to the surface, the carrier fluid flows inwardly through the screen assemblies and into a production tubing which routes the returning carrier fluid back to the surface. In some applications, inflow control devices have been combined with the screen assemblies to provide control over the inflow of production fluids.
Sometimes the inflow control devices may be combined with alternate path type screen assemblies which utilize shunt tubes for transporting slurry. For example, the slurry may be moved through shunt tubes once bridging has occurred in the annulus surrounding the screen assemblies. The slurry flows through the shunt tubes and exits through nozzles to enable bypassing of the bridging and to enhance gravel packing of the annulus. When inflow control devices are utilized, however, the complexity of the dehydration process is increased because return flow of the carrier fluid through the inflow control devices may be insufficient to obtain reasonable pumping times for gravel packing an entire production zone.